Some devices and platforms nowadays come with a built-in screen recorder – such as Windows 10, MacOS, and iOS 11 or later. Most tend to be relatively basic however, which is why you may still want to find a third-party screen recorder that you can use.

As you start to look for one, the first thing that you’ll probably notice is that there are a lot of options out there. The second thing that you may also notice is that there are a lot of differences between them as well.

In order to choose the right screen recorder software, there are a few factors in particular that you should weigh carefully:

●Settings to adjust the recording parameters

One of the main advantages of screen recorder software over the more basic built-in recorders is that they tend to provide you with greater control over the recording parameter. Typically that means that you can adjust the resolution (i.e. area that is recorded), frame rate, audio sources, volume levels, and more.

On top of that some screen recorders may let you capture webcam video as well, and give you control over its recording parameters. It is up to you to make sure that the software you choose is versatile enough that you can set it up according to your requirements.

●Automated recording tools

Having the option to automate the recording can help in many cases. In particular, it can be useful when recording longer videos, as you won’t need to ‘babysit’ the recording in order to manually stop it when it is done. For example if you were to use Movavi Screen Recorder as a Flash video downloader, you could set the timer to match the video duration and leave it be.

●Export formats and options

Although often overlooked, having more options when you export the videos that you capture is definitely a good thing. Being able to encode it in different formats based on your needs can be helpful, and having the ability to adjust the video settings such as the bitrate may prove useful as well.

At a minimum you should make sure that the screen recorder you use supports popular formats such as MP4 with H.264.

●Editing features and tools

One of the common trends in screen recorder software is to include editing features of various types – and some even have a full-fledged video editor parceled with them. At very least it can be useful to have basic tools that you can use to trim, crop and rotate your video.

As much as having more editing features is more versatile, it can add to the complexity of the software. In some cases, you may find that you prefer to just have a few simple tools that you can use to tweak your video, rather than having to open it into a full-fledged editor to make alterations.

By this point you should be able to see how each of these factors will influence your decision and help you to find a screen recorder that suits your needs. If you want you can start by trying the built-in screen recorder in Windows 10 or the platform you’re using – then move on to a more powerful alternative if you feel you require more control over the videos that you capture.